Cruising through the Ganges offers a culturally immersive experience, taking guests into the lesser-known and less-visited heart of India, steeped in thousands of years of history. The 2,525 km river rises in the western Himalayas and traverses the breadth of North India all the way to the East, eventually emptying into the Bay of Bengal.
In addition to the extensive cruising across West Bengal and Bihar, sail all the way up to the ghats of the holy city of Varanasi, one of the world’s oldest, continually inhabited cities and an incredibly important site for Hinduism and Jainism.
Origin: Ganga is said to have originated from Lord Vishnu’s feet and passed through Brahma’s water pot.
Jahnavi: She is also known as Jahnavi after Sage Jahnu, who initially swallowed her waters for flooding his ashram but later released her.
Tripathaga: Symbolizing her flow through Heaven (Swarga), Earth (Prithvi), and the Netherworld (Patala).
The Ganges, also known as the Padma in Bangladesh, is a major transboundary river flowing through India and Bangladesh. Rising in the western Himalayas in Uttarakhand, the river spans 2,525 kilometers (1,569 miles). It flows south and east through the Gangetic Plain, receiving the Yamuna and several tributaries from Nepal. In West Bengal, the Farakka Barrage diverts a portion of its flow into the Hooghly River, while the main stem continues into Bangladesh as the Padma, eventually joining the Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers to form the world’s second-largest river system by discharge before emptying into the Bay of Bengal.
The river begins at Devprayag, the confluence of the Alaknanda (the hydrological source) and the Bhagirathi (the mythological source). Before reaching the plains at Haridwar, the river passes through the “Panch Prayag”—five sacred confluences involving the Alaknanda, Dhauliganga, Nandakini, Pindar, Mandakini, and Bhagirathi.
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The Ganges (Ganga) is said to have descended from heaven to Earth as a result of King Bhagiratha’s penance to purify his ancestors’ ashes. Lord Shiva used his matted locks to break her fall and gently release her, controlling her tremendous force. She is therefore referred to as Ganga and Bhagirathi, signifying purity.
River Rhapsody specializes in immersive river tourism. We offer intimate river boat tours along carefully curated itineraries, enhanced by luxury camping for overnight experiences and wilderness meal stops.